Louisville Zoo announces birth of baby elephant

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – The Louisville Zoo has announced the birth of a baby elephant.

According to the zoo, a “strong and vigorous” African elephant male calf was born just before midnight on Friday. The calf’s mother, Mikki, has been pregnant since October 2017 after being artificially inseminated.

Mikki first went into labor on July 9 to the 200 pound calf.

This is the zoo’s third elephant, joining 33-year-old Mikki and 47-year-old Asian elephant, Punch.

The zoo will now give the calf to bond with Mikki and Punch. The elephants will not be on exhibit until further notice. The calf has not yet been named.

Louisville Zoo Director John Walczak says raising a calf is an enriching experience for elephants.